In a color diffusion transfer photographic material of a type that the photographic material contains compounds which release diffusible dyes by the redox reaction induced by the light exposure and development of silver halide (hereinafter, such a compound is referred to as a diffusible dye releasing type redox compound) and is developed using a black-and-white developing agent such as phenidone, it is required that the oxidation product of the developing agent formed by the development of silver halide reacts with only the dye releasing redox compound associated therewith. Research Disclosure, Vol. 152, No. 15,162 (published Nov. 1976), etc., discloses a layer containing a material which can properly react with the oxidation product of the developing agent. For example, it shows a color mixing inhibitor such as a hydroquinone derivative, etc., for preventing the oxidation product of the developing agent from diffusing into layers containing other dye releasing redox compounds which are not associated with the oxidation product.
Such hydroquinones are incorporated in an interlayer and should be diffusion-resistant (non-diffusible); in order to impart a diffusion-resistant property to hydroquinones, it is required that a ballast group(s) having at least about 20 carbon atoms be contained in the hydroquinones for practical use. Typical examples of such hydroquinone derivatives as a color mixing inhibitor are alkylhydroquinones and dialkylhydroquinones. However, most of these hydroquinone derivatives are solid, so that they tend to crystallize out before, during and after coating.
Hydroquinone derivatives in a non-solid form have been proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,700,453. The hydroquinone derivatives disclosed therein are eutectic mixtures (semi-eutectic mixtures) of them and hence the eutectic point thereof is low. Therefore, they do not need high-boiling dispersing oils for obtaining stable emulsified dispersions. In more detail, even if a high-boiling dispersing oil does not exist in a hydrophilic colloid layer containing the hydroquinone derivatives, the deposition of the hydroquinone derivatives does not occur in the layer before, during, or after coating the layer.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,982,944, hydroquinone derivatives which can provide more stable dispersions are disclosed.
However, these hydroquinone derivatives which are eutectic mixtures (or semi-eutectic mixtures) are undesirable in that they cause various side-effects by migrating into other photographic layers of a multilayer color photographic material. The intermixing of components dispersed in other layers into the color mixing inhibiting layer containing the hydroquinone derivatives occurs since many of these hydroquinone derivatives are in liquid states at room temperature or at temperatures slightly higher than room temperature. The disadvantages created by the side effect are similar to those frequently observed when incorporating high-boiling solvents (oils) in photographic materials. There is a reduction in the preservability of photographic materials (e.g., occurrence of color mixing between photographic layers when preserved at high temperatures, etc.), a reduction in adhesion between photographic layers, exudation of oily hydroquinone derivatives to the surface of a photographic material, etc. If the proportion of a hydrophilic colloid binder (e.g., gelatin) to liquid hydroquinone derivatives is low, the above-described tendency increases. This inevitably results in hindering the reduction of the thickness of photographic layers. This problem occurs not only in photographic materials for color diffusion transfer process but also in so-called "conventional" color photographic materials using color couplers, etc.
When using conventional interlayers problems occur because the oxidation product of a developing agent necessary for forming images is reduced by the hydroquinones contained therein and consumed. Accordingly, the ratio of forming dye images by the reaction of the oxidation product of the developing agent and a dye image-providing compound to be reacted with the oxidation product is reduced. This results in lowering the maximum density of the dye images.
In attempting to immobilize the ballast-containing and oily hydroquinone derivatives described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,700,453 and 3,982,944, the use of water-soluble polymers containing -N-CO- in combination with these hydroquinone derivatives has also been proposed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 143,232, filed Apr. 24, 1980. While this system eliminates the aforesaid disadvantages and provides a high maximum dye image density, it has been found that, when water-insoluble organic soluble polymers containing ##STR1## and free of a nitrogen atom at a position adjacent to the carbonyl group are employed in place of the water-soluble polymers, the maximum dye image density can be even further improved.